Cain smirked, feral golden eyes flashing with amusement. “Did I startle you, Shido?”

“What the hell are you doing here?” Shido snarled, trying to load every last drop of his hatred into the simple statement.

The blond vampire’s smirk only widened, until the barest hint of fang peeked over his lips. “I came for the ball, of course. Why else?”

“I don’t believe you. What do you want, Cain?”

Cain gave a low, rumbling chuckle. “Many things, Shido. For now, a dance would please me very much.”

“Go to hell.”

Riho was a frightened presence at his back. “You again! Why can’t you just leave Mister Shido alone?”

A lion’s hungry, pitiless eyes shifted to her. “I can smell your fear, little one, and it is exciting.”

This elicited an angry hiss from Shido. Stepping in front of Riho, he locked eyes with Cain. “Leave this place. Now.”

“Certainly. Mortal affairs tend to bore me.”

He’s… giving in?

“I shall go… as soon as I have had my dance with you.”

Damn! I should have known! Ocean-blue eyes narrowed and flashed gold. “And if I refuse?”

Sensual lips quirked in a devil’s smile. “Then things could become… ugly. Do you truly wish to disrupt this affair with violence over such a small thing?” Cain motioned to the crowd with a sweep of one elegant hand. “Surely you would not wish to see any humans hurt.”

Goddammit! Being so close to Cain was the last thing he wanted… But if he refused, the other vampire would certainly make good on his implied threat, and innocent people would be hurt. No. I can’t take that risk.

He nodded once, sharply. “Fine. One dance, and then you leave. Is that understood?”

“Mister Shido!” Riho clutched his arm, worry in her eyes and voice.

Shido smoothed her hair down with his free hand and gave her a reassuring smile. “Go find Yayoi. Stay with her, okay? I’ll be back in a little while.”

She looked ready to protest, but then she nodded. Sparing Cain one last fearful glance, she disappeared into the crowd.

With Riho safely out of the line of fire, so to speak, Shido was able to breathe easier. He turned back to Cain. “Well, let’s get this over with.”

The blond hadn’t stopped smirking triumphantly the entire time. He held out an inviting hand to Shido. “Come, let us dance together once more, as we did in days of old.”

The gesture was not lost on Shido. His jaw tightened; he could feel the lump of ice growing low in the pit of his stomach. Stepping forward, he took the offered hand. It was the hardest thing he’d done in a long time.

They stepped easily into the flow of the music. Shido followed the motions, but he scowled up into the other man’s eyes, trying to communicate his anger and resentment with the force of his gaze.

Cain was unimpressed. Chuckling, he murmured, “Do not glare at me like a petulant child, Shido. Can we not just enjoy this moment?”

“I was enjoying myself just fine until you showed up.”

“Mm, so I noticed. You have grown quite fond of your young flower, have you not?” A gentle hand slid across Shido’s back, caressing taut muscles, playing in the loose strands of his lilac-under-moonlight hair. “Are you in love with her, Shido?”

Silence and an icy glare were his only replies.

Cain laughed. “Either way, it matters not. She cannot offer you what I can.”

“Just shut up,” Shido snapped. God, will this song hurry up and end?

“So impertinent…” Shido shivered at the horrible intimacy in Cain’s tone. “Just like always.” The hand that he’d been trying to ignore at his back slid up to his shoulder, past the juncture of his neck, upwards toward his face. Impossibly soft fingers caressed his jawline, ran over his chin. A thumb smoothed over his bottom lip.

“Stop it.” He hated himself for the way his voice caught, for the breathy, almost frightened note it held.

Cain leaned in closer, till their noses almost touched. “Why? You want it.”

“No.” He himself didn’t believe it. “Cain, no.”

“Yes, Shido.” The words were whispered against his mouth, just the lightest brush of warm air on soft lips. “My beautiful Shido.”

The detective’s mind was screaming at him, but fear paralyzed his body, made it slow to react. No! Get away from me! Don’t fucking touch me, you bastard! But he couldn’t force the words from his throat, and he knew Cain wouldn’t listen, anyway.

When the blond vampire kissed him, it was just as he remembered from so many years ago. Satin lips, sweeter than any wine…

Fire raced through his body, and it was equal parts fear, anger, and lust. Behind it all was disgust, for Cain, but mostly for himself. I… want him. Goddammit, even after so long, my body wants him…

“NO!” Finding his strength at last, Shido pushed his former master and lover away. “Stop it NOW!”

Cain was laughing, as if at the antics of a child.

“Stop laughing at me, damn you!” he shouted, uncaring of the fact that nearby couples had stopped to stare. “I don’t want you to ever touch me again!”

“You know as well as I, Shido, that that is a lie. I think, just now, you wanted me to touch you very much.” The ancient vampire’s smile was self-assured; his eyes danced with malevolence.

Shido trembled with the force of his own rage. “Get… out… now,” he hissed through clenched teeth.

Cain cocked his head to the side, like a curious dog. “As you like, Shido. We can continue this… some other time.” And just like that, he was gone; no theatrics, he simply… disappeared, as if he had never been.

If only I could be so lucky. People nearby were blinking and shaking their heads as if just coming out of a dream; Shido was certain none of them would even recall having seen Cain at all. With a weary sigh, he pushed his way through the crowd, eyes searching for Riho and Yayoi.

A hand brushed his rear and he whirled around, ready to commit violence on the person who’d dared. Only years of teaching himself restraint saved the person from having their throat torn out.

This turned out to be a lucky thing for Minaka Murasaki. She stood behind him, smiling sweetly, a half-empty champagne glass clutched in one hand.

“Well hello again,” she purred.

It was all he could do not to bare his fangs at her like an angry wolf. “Have you seen Yayoi and Riho?” he asked her shortly.

Minaka mock-pouted. “Now now, let’s not be rude. I was about to ask you to dance, Mr. Shido. Wouldn’t you like to dance with me?”

Not really, was his weary mental response. “Perhaps later,” he said diplomatically. Turning away, he resumed his search for his companions.

“I’ll hold you to it!” Minaka called after him.

Note to self: ditch party before Minaka finds you again.

The crowd had grown even thicker in the time he’d spent dancing; it was a challenge just to move five feet without getting elbowed or stepping on anyone’s toes.

He spotted Yayoi sitting alone on one of the velvet-upholstered couches that lined the ballroom’s walls. Though her pose was relaxed, her eyes shifted warily, scanning the crowd. She noticed Shido, and some of the tension left her eyes.

“Cain gone?” She got right to the point as Shido sank down on the cushion next to her.

“Mm,” he mumbled affirmatively, rubbing at his eyes. The headache was again trying to creep up on him. “Where’s Riho?”

Yayoi motioned to a nearby set of French doors. “Out on the balcony. She said she wanted to get some air.”

Shido sighed. “I’d better go talk to her.”

Yayoi nodded, eyes serious. Giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze, she pushed him toward the balcony doors.

Stepping out into the cool night air on the balcony was like stepping into another world. The music and the chatter were suddenly far off and muted; the press of bodies was now a distant dream. The light breeze was refreshing, and the silvery light of the waxing moon was soft to Shido’s eyes. No wonder Riho decided to come out here.

And there she stood, leaning against the railing, hair moving gently with the breeze. Under the moonlight, her pale skin was alabaster.

Shido moved to lean against the railing beside her. The view up here was spectacular; the lights of Tokyo winked and glittered for as far as the eye could see.

Silence stretched between them, taut and uncomfortable, with Shido not knowing quite what to say and Riho afraid to say anything at all.

Shido broke the silence first. “Cain’s gone,” he said quietly.

Riho nodded without looking at him. After a pause she said, “Did everything… go okay?”

The detective sighed. “He left without killing anyone. I suppose that’s as okay as it can get, with Cain.”

“I suppose so.” She sounded so awkward and sad.

Shido bit his lip. What should I say?

“I really hate him, you know.” When Riho spoke, it was with matter-of-fact tonelessness. Her eyes stayed focused on the lights of Tokyo below. “Not just because he almost… killed me, or because he keeps harassing you.”

What’s she getting at? Shido kept silent and waited for her to speak her mind.

“I hate him because… he made you love him.” Now her eyes shifted to the older vampire, and he could see confusion and sadness warring within. “You did love him, didn’t you, Mister Shido?”

Shido swallowed down the sudden panic rising up from the pit of his stomach. Of all the things she could’ve asked…

Her eyes were wide, scared, entreating an honest response from him. She dreaded the answer but needed to hear it from him, anyway.

“Riho.” Moving away from the railing, he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her slender shoulders, hugging her close. She stiffened for the barest of instants, then relaxed into the embrace.

“It was a long time ago,” he whispered into her hair. “He was my creator, my mentor, my lover. I had no memories of my former life at all, and for a while he was all I knew. We had a bond, and I suppose…” He sighed, rubbing his face against the feathery softness of her hair. “I suppose I did love him, or at least I thought I did.”

Riho was quiet for a long time. Then: “He claims to still love you.”

“I don’t know if a creature like him is even capable of love. Possessiveness, but not love. Maybe to him, they’re the same thing.”

“So you don’t… still have feelings for him?” Her voice quavered just a bit at the end.

Ah, so that’s what this is about. Chuckling quietly, he kissed the top of her head. “Riho, I will never, ever go back to Cain. Whatever we may have had is long over. I just wish he would realize that.”

“Oh.” She practically sagged in his arms; her tone was one of relief and happiness.

Turning her around to face him, Shido gave her a lopsided smile. “You don’t actually think I’d go back to that bastard, do you?”

She blushed and looked away. “I don’t know what I thought. I just… I mean, he is beautiful, and… he’s known you for a long time… I… Forget it. I was only being silly, Mister Shido.”

He brushed a stray lock of hair back from her face. “No, it’s okay. You had every right to ask, Riho.”

She smiled up at him gratefully, eyes warm and full of trust.

She’s so lovely… Shido leaned forward, losing himself willingly in those cinnamon-sweet eyes. Automatically she tilted her chin up, and Shido raised a hand to cup her cheek as he moved in close.

The shrill, glass-shattering sound of a woman screaming halted their lips only a fraction of an inch apart.

“That came from inside,” Shido said, taking a step back.

Riho looked alarmed. “What could have happened?”

Shido was already moving toward the doors. “Only one way to find out.” Even as he sprinted inside, he cursed his bad luck.

What more could possibly happen to ruin this night?